Alison Allan

Dr. Alison Allan is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University. She holds joint appointments in Oncology and is the Director of the Breast Cancer Canada Translational Research Unit. Her research focuses on cancer metastasis mechanisms, particularly in breast and prostate cancers, with emphasis on circulating tumor cells, cancer stem cells, and therapeutic strategies. Dr. Allan leads studies in preclinical models and clinical trials assessing biomarkers for metastasis monitoring. She is also the Basic Science Co-Lead of Western’s Centre for Translational Cancer Research and collaborates on projects involving radiation therapy and oligometastasis treatments. She received her PhD and B.Sc. from the University of Guelph.

Key research areas include: 1) Understanding metastatic microenvironments and cancer stem cell biology; 2) Developing blood-based biomarkers for disease progression; 3) Investigating radiosensitization mechanisms in breast cancer. Her work bridges basic science and clinical application, aiming to improve metastasis-targeted therapies. Dr. Allan has led numerous studies including the SABR-COMET-10 clinical trial for oligometastatic disease treatment. She is actively involved in oncology education, advocating for patient-centered approaches in medical training.

Her lab is part of the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at LHSC, with funding from various grants. Collaborations span institutions like Robarts Research Institute and the London Regional Cancer Program. Future work emphasizes translational applications of circulating tumor cell analysis and centrosome-related cancer mechanisms.